Coronavirus Paving The Way For Telehealth

As you may of heard, whether you are in San Antonio, Texas or Las Vegas, Nevada, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) is not only impacting our day-to-day lives, but the way certain industries run as well. Take for instance the medical industry. You probably noticed that your local primary care doctor’s office has switched their operations to prioritize COVID-19 related cases, versus routine follow-ups that were scheduled. They may have also switched to doing what is referred to as telehealth, where you can remotely “talk” or “see” your primary care doctor or a specialist from the comfort of your own home.

While telehealth may be something you were aware of prior to the COVID-19 crisis, many Americans were not and are being introduced to this service for the first time. So will this introduction to telehealth last beyond the virus? Many think so, including us here at The Harrin Group.

According to a March 27th CIO article , Paddy Padmanabhan put forward that out of every crisis, new opportunities arise. This may be telehealth’s moment. Take for instance Geisinger Health, whom has seen a 500% increase in telehealth visits during the first few weeks of the virus outbreak here in America. The Cleveland Clinic has also seen the technology increase some ten times, in just the past few weeks alone. With telehealth usage increasing, why has it not taken off in the past? Well, the answer according to Padmanabhan lies in the notion that reimbursement models were very poor for telehealth visits, therefore, providers were hesitant to utilize the technology. Now, the Federal Government has brought the reimbursement levels up to par with other visits. While no one can predict the future, it is safe to say that it is likely that many Americans and physicians will become used to the telehealth model, and its utilization will only rise in the coming years.

That being said, we are proud to say as an agency, that we were early adopters of telehealth for our clients and have offered this service as both an add-on or stand-alone service through our preferred provider: HealthiestYou by Teladoc. Plans are very reasonable from $11 a month for an individual or $15 for a family, with unlimited consultations to a licensed doctor in your state, even if you are traveling in the U.S. To sign up for this product, click here.

We hope you found this blog post on the emergence of telehealth helpful, courtesy of The Harrin Group. If we can ever be of assistance to you or anyone in your family, we are here for you! Contact us for a no obligation analysis of your situation today!

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Sources: CIO, HealthiestYou

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